Wayne residents advised to stay off the roads as crews work to remove snow

WAYNE - The Wayne Township municipal complex closed up shop today at 11:30 a.m. due to the inclement weather, according to Mayor Chris Vergano.

"There hasn't been much foot traffic there today, which is good because it isn't safe to be on the roads today," Vergano said in a phone interview.

The town has plows out in full force throughout its 14 neighborhoods Employees who plow work 15 hours then they go home for eight hours.

"There are plowing crews constantly on the roadways," Vergano said. "But this snowstorm is relentless. It's hard to keep up with. We plow then a short while later it looks as if we never even plowed."

Vergano, reiterating what Tim Collins, department of public works superintendent of operations, is estimating, there was about eight to 10 inches of snow accumulated around Wayne Township at midday Thursday. And Collins said he wouldn't be surprised, based on the intensity of the storm, another eight to 16 inches may fall before it's over.

The Wayne school district made the decision last night to close its schools, and Vergano said that was the right move.

"With a storm like this, it's good to let people know ahead of time that schools won't be open," he said.

And addressing the public, Vergano warned about the dangers of being on the roads today.

"Let the plows do their job. It's very difficult to properly plow a roadway with people out driving. The problem though is where to put it. There's no place to put the snow once it's plowed. This winter has been unbelievable," Vergano added.

There will also be no senior bus service today. Garbage and recycling collection are also cancelled today, it will resume on the next collection date, for garbage Feb. 17 and recycling Routes 4 and 13 on Feb. 27. The recycling center will also be closed today.